The Phoenix MBDA Business Center will partner with the Thunderbird School of Global Management on November 21 to host its first Global Business Conference. The idea began as the result of a casual conversation between Alika Kumar, Project Director of the Phoenix MBDA Business Center and a former professor. They both saw the need to ensure that the Arizona minority-owned business community is informed about the business opportunities that exist outside of the U.S.

As ideas evolve, so have the topics that will be covered during the conference. Among the scheduled sessions are: The Future and Why You Cannot Ignore It (International Trade Administration); Building International Partnerships; and The Nuts & Bolts of Doing Business Abroad. Ms. Kumar’s goal is to reach out to Arizona minority-owned businesses and anyone else interested in increasing their exports. The conference is highly anticipated with experts from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, U.S. Export Assistance Centers (International Trade Administration), the Minority Business Development Agency, EXIM Bank of the U.S., Bank of America, and the Arizona International Growth Group.

“We want to highlight why U.S. businesses cannot afford to ignore the opportunities outside our borders and focus on key regions like Mexico, Canada, Latin America, Asia, China and Africa,” says Ms. Kumar. “We’re also very excited about the opportunity to partner with the Thunderbird School of Global Management, which has been ranked as the #1 international school of business in the world for 19 years in a row.”

Since its founding in 2006, the Phoenix MBDA Business Center has focused on securing large public and private contracts and financing transactions, stimulating job creation and retention, and facilitating entry to global markets for eligible minority-owned businesses.